subject: Thoughts On The Causes Of Type 1 Diabetes [print this page] There is no certain thought as to how type 1 diabetes is contracted. However, it is thought possible that 90% of cases are contracted by a virus, and indeed research has isolated a number of suspected viruses, nearly all of which are thought to be responsible for the common cold. It may well be, that if an individual's genetic makeup is such, they may contract this disease by simply coming into contact with someone who has a cold.
The 10% of people who do not contract type 1 diabetes in this way, are thought to suffer from an autoimmune disease, which breaks down the individual's beta cells.
Here are the details.
Type 1 diabetes is what is called an autoimmune disease. This is where there is a fault in the nervous system causing a reaction. For example, germs that attack the body, for example a cold, are recognised by immune system and attacked, with the result that over a short period, the cold is cured. Unfortunately, if the immune system thinks insulin, the hormone we produce to allow energy in the form of blood glucose to pass in to our cells, is an unwanted intruder, it attacks it and we get diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is more prevalent in people who have other autoimmune diseases.
Even if people could demonstrate that they had abnormalities in their DNA which could lead to type 1 diabetes, it doesn't mean that it will. It is quite possible to have variaqtions on your DNA and yet not contract type 1 diabetes.
Another determinant as to whether or not you contract type 1 diabetes concerns the environment, and the cold analogy above. A great deal of research on patients in the early stages of type 1 has suggested a number of different viruses that may be responsible for triggering this type of diabetes.
It is believed that one or several viruses have the capacity to attack the pancreas, the gland that produces insulin. In turn that virus is then attacked by body's immune system. Now if the virus contains a substance that occurs naturally in the pancreas, the immune system's antibodies that fight the virus will then also affect this substance in the pancreas, with the same consequences as if the virus had attacked the pancreas directly.
Finally, although not yet proven, some scientists think that there may be chemicals in cows milk that cause diabetes. This is another area of research that is yet to be properly explored.
The author of this article is diabetic and understands the side effects of this disease which can be devastating.
